“Information wants to be free.” This adage, attributed to Stewart Brand,¹ has often been invoked in the internet era to suggest that, as logistical barriers to access come down, individuals should have free access to all types of information, in any manner of their choosing. Unfettered access to data, music, education, and other services has been the guiding principle and promise of the electronically connected modern world. However, the actual costs of “free” information have gradually become apparent, such as the data mining and surveillance of individuals used to finance internet search and social media, and the proliferation of online misinformation from unreliable sources. Transparency in the transmission of medical information to patients is a major emerging issue in modern health care. Although benefits, such as patient empowerment and engagement are becoming clear, the potential unintended consequences of complete patient access to health data are not yet known. Could completely free health information end up being expensive?

“信息想要自由。” 这句格言归功于Stewart Brand，¹互联网时代经常有人提到，随着访问的后勤障碍减少，个人应该以自己选择的任何方式自由访问所有类型的信息。不受限制地访问数据，音乐，教育和其他服务一直是电子连接的现代世界的指导原则和承诺。但是，“免费”信息的实际成本已逐渐变得显而易见，例如数据挖掘和对用于资助互联网搜索和社交媒体的个人的监视，以及来自不可靠来源的在线错误信息的泛滥。向患者传输医疗信息的透明度是现代医疗保健中的一个主要新兴问题。尽管诸如赋予患者权力和参与这样的好处越来越明显，尚不清楚患者完全访问健康数据可能产生的意外后果。完全免费的健康信息会变得昂贵吗？